The Deck of Cards. The first time I heard about this was an in article about Clive (Iron Fist) Myers. It was one of his favourite routines. The idea is very easy to put into practise and will help build stamina, strength and energy. All you need is a deck of cards and some space to exercise. You could do this routine while on vacation if you want to maintain peak fitness.
First you need to decide on 3 exercises to do 1. Chest 2. Legs 3. Abdominals. 1.
push ups. 2. Free standing squats. 3. Crunches.
Each exercise will be done in strict form with no cheating. For the push ups, start in the low position and push up with slow steady motion until the top of the movement and then slowly lower back down under control. Breathe in as you go down and in as you push back up.
This is one rep. Free standing squats, fold your arms across your chest and perform deep knee bends slowly, under full control. At the bottom of the movement push with your thighs and come back to the top position. Breathe in as you go down and out as you come up.
Crunches, start by lying on your back on the floor with your feet on a bench or chair. Hold your hands beside your head (NOT BEHIND). Raise your upper body from the floor as high as you can. Breathe out as you raise and in as you lower your upper body.
Do not hold you hands behind your head and pull as this will put excessive strain on your neck. Now take the deck of cards including the jokers. Give it a good shuffle and turn over the top card.
Whatever the value of this card is the number of reps for the exercise. Face card values Jack 11 Queen 12 King 13 Ace 14 Joker 15 With each card you turn over, do that amount of reps for the exercise, and then turn the next card over and move onto the next exercise. When you are starting you may be unable to do a full deck of cards. No problem. Start with the number cards up to the eight. Add one more card at the beginning of each workout until you can use the full deck.
Make sure to breathe regularly as you perform these exercises and do not hold your breath at any time. Shuffle the deck of cards each time you work out as the will randomize the number of each exercise. You can change the exercises if you are unable to do the ones recommended. There are a multitude of variations on free standing exercises that can be performed with little or no equipment.
If you do change the exercises try to do one upper, one middle and one lower body exercise. The main idea is that you move from one exercise to the next as quickly as possible to keep up your heart rate and build up aerobic endurance. When you have done this routine for a while you will be able to complete this workout in 20 minutes.
If you want to you could add another deck of cards or two. I recommend that you do this routine every other day to improve your health. There is no reason why it could not be done daily if you wanted to.
The purpose of this workout or any other fitness program you undertake is to make you fitter and healthier. If you start to feel unwell or have any pain while working out, slow down and listen to your body. As with any new program it is recommended that you start slowly and build up gradually as you gain experience.
Even Arnold had to start with low weights and learn from more experienced bodybuilders. This article is provided as entertainment and no responsibility can be taken for loss or injuries incurred during physical exercise. If you have not undertaken any form of exercise for a while, please consult your doctor before starting any new exercise program. Fitness is not a competition with anyone else. It is just for you, so find what you enjoy and go have some fun.
For information on bodylastics http://www.bodylastics.com?img=3&kbid=1924 Feel free to visit my blog and have your say. http://www.gym-talk.blogspot.com If you have any hints or tips to share or if you need some advice feel free to email me. gym-talk@hotmail.co.uk
